Tip 1: Read More

Reading is a key need for you to become a better writer. Plain and simple.

While you may not think reading is important to your writing, it plays a major role.

Reading gives you ideas for your work, as well as takes you places you may not have thought to go when writing a story.

If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write. ~Stephen King

Tip 2: Write Every Single Day

If you don’t practice each day, how will you be able to build up that confidence?

Writing every day helps you to build your skills, which will ultimately build your confidence. It also gives you a routine, if only a loose one, which is a great way to become a better, more confident writer.

Now, you don’t have to write out full chapters every day, but you do need to work on some form of writing to continuously keep the juices flowing.

Daily writing, not only gives you a boost of confidence, but it also keeps away that elusive writer’s block everyone else talks about.

Another thing that writing daily does is to help you build your portfolio, which is always awesome.

If you want to be a writer, you have to write every day… You don’t to a well once but daily. ~Walter Mosley

Tip 3: Keep a Notebook/Journal With You

There isn’t a place I go without having my journal and a pen in my bag.

Seriously.

Carrying a notebook with you can save you the faux pas of coming up with a great idea and having nothing to write on.

As you travel throughout your city and neighborhood, there are ideas for everything – characters, places, descriptions, scenes, etc.

Always carry a notebook. And I mean always.The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea forever. ~Will Self

Tip 4: Start Small

You’re not going to write the world’s greatest novel when you first sit down to write.

Sorry, it doesn’t work that way.

That’s not to say you don’t have the capability to write a legendary book, but why put that sort of pressure on yourself straight out the gate.

The pressure of a major project can lead to the infamous writer’s block – and you don’t want that.

Start with a character profile, or better yet, start free writing and see where that takes you.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. ~Lao Tzu

Tip 5: Set a Goal – An Attainable One

Setting goals is a sure bet to building your confidence to a level you can be proud of.

The objective, however, is to be able to reach the goals that you set. The last thing you want to do is set yourself up for failure.

Ignore the folks around you that are setting full chapter goals and such.

Like tip #4, start small.

Make a word count goal – let’s say 700 words per day. That’s about the size of a nice length article or blog post.

Try to make the initial goal. If you go over, that’s awesome. If you go over consistently, you may need to raise it.

It’s best to change your word count goal once every 15 -30 days so that you are always pushing yourself to be more productive.

Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. ~Tony Robbins

Tip 6: Don’t Try to be Perfect, Try to be Good

Who’s a perfectionist?

I am.

Seriously, I had to go on a 12-step program to kick the habit.

As tantalizing as it may be to write perfectly, understand that there is no such thing.

Your focus should not be on if a punctuation is in the right place or if the simile you just used makes sense. Your focus is on writing.

Sounds simple.

I know it’s not though.

There is always that moment you have an itchy delete trigger finger.

Happens to the best of us.

If you have to get rid of the backspace key or cut the eraser off you pencil, do what needs to be done. But don’t torture yourself trying to be perfect.

Do your best. That’s always good enough.

You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits persistence. ~Octavia Butler

Tip 7: Try a Writing Exercise

Writing exercises are the bee’s knees. Many seasoned writers don’t like them but they can help you get going when you think you’re stuck.

One exercise in particular almost forces you to write as much as you can in a certain amount of time.

It’s called speed-writing.

You set a timer and go for what you know.

It helps you write without overthinking things especially if you are a perfectionist.

Writing prompts help as well. These can be as simple as a sentence or as much as a paragraph.

It helps you get started when you feel no inspiration to start on your own.

These simple exercises will help you build a backbone with your writing and have you on your way to being as confident as you can be.

Talent is required, but much of writing is a matter of craft, which develops with time, attention, patience and practice, like playing an instrument or learning to dance. ~Susan Wiggs

Tip 8: Save Everything No Matter What

It may seem like overkill to hold onto everything you write but it’s actually a good way to go about things.

If you saw how many files on my computer, flash drives, notebooks, and binders I have, you would wonder why I don’t just open up my own library featuring myself.

It pays to keep it all.

I’m somewhat of a hoarder. I keep everything. ~Gary Clark Jr.

Tip 9: Experiment With Different Writing Styles

There is so much benefit in being a jack-of-all-trades.

The key to trying out different styles honestly is to break down the monotony of it all. Sometimes, writing the same thing all the time can cause boredom.

Just because you try another style doesn’t mean that you will show what you’ve done to the world.

On the other hand, you may be trying out something to show off to your audience.

Completely up to you.

Changing writing styles is like an actor taking on a different part. ~Evan Hunter

Tip 10: Write the Truth

Even in fiction, the truth is always the light.

Many stories have started off very truthful, only to be twisted into some of the greatest writing ever read.

Telling your truth can be the gateway to your writing confidence being boosted to brand new plateau.

Also, starting with something that actually happened can allow you to change the events of a story that is more appealing than what actually happened. You know, like making a simple trip to the grocery store turn into a heist gone wrong ending in a high-speed chase.

Even if you are not twisting the truth into something that it’s not, you can still build up your courage by writing the truth.